MOOC Courses During the Pandemic

 

Over 2020 I started or continued courses from Coursera.  "Learning How to Learn " and "Design Thinking" were useful choices for my quest to add new knowledge about the continuing evolution of MOOC courses, especially during a year when new options for learning online in education, healthcare and workforce development became so important. 

Sharing a MOOC that builds consumer skills

I completed a new MOOC,  a "teach-out" to help consumers identify the range of fake news and build skills to understand how news is produced.  In four hours, this MOOC helped me learn how to differentiate between fabrications and main stream news evolving in a digital world.

Times have changed!  How do we understand accuracy when the consumer now creates content.  Is it "click worthy" and credible?

Now, the consumer must evaluate the sources and not be conned.  Don't trust anything and evaluate good work and share it.

So, here is the good work:
https://www.edx.org/course/fake-news-facts-alternative-facts-michiganx-teachout-2x

MOOC Completion Certificate

Recently, I completed a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) by EdX called "Design and Development of Games for Learning".  I expected to browse the structure of the MOOC since I'm interested in understanding how games may motivate learning.  I didn't intend to finish the course and indicated in the pre survey that one hour per week would be my time limit.

Then I got hooked on the course, enjoying taking an MIT course from a real MIT professor.  The outcome for the course was designing my own learning game and sharing it with the other learners.  The other learners seemed to have different goals for the course from understanding learning games to actually designing games for others.  Everyone was helpful in providing feedback.

So, I completed the course, going from one hour per week to 4 hours because I was falling behind and I wanted to keep up.  More importantly, I was motivated to receive a Certificate of Completion from MIT.  The certificate is now hanging proudly on my LinkedIn profile.  I paid $40 for a verified certificate, the course was free.

Of course, the certificate only indicates completion of course activities.  My competency in designing learning games is not in consideration.

The good news about MOOCs is you now have an opportunity to learn for free from high quality courses offered through institutions such as MIT.  

"Staying the Course" in #CDMOOC

“Staying the Course” in #CDMOOC

MOOC completion rates are less than 10% so I’m always curious when I find a MOOC that engages my attention.  Well, I’m still participating, not lurking, and I’m in the second week of Carpe Diem:  Learning Design, #CDMOOC.  

What is so eye-catching about this MOOC? Is it because I’m working in a small group, the Seahorses?  Is it because our group has a Sherpa to keep us headed in the right direction?  Is it because I’m actively using the learning design process in my own work?

MOOC to Manage Change

I’m following a new MOOC now in progress called Managing Change in Community Development.  So far 158 members worldwide. 

This is my third MOOC to follow.  What does “follow” mean?  I check out how the MOOC is structured.  I check out how participants engage with each other.  Mainly, my self-directed learning revolves around how technology works or does not work to improve my learning.  

The first MOOC I followed was MobiMOOC12, and I did participate and complete the course.  The first MOOC is considered a cMOOC since it is constructivist in approach.  Experts present live and recorded webinars available on You Tube. Interaction is encouraged through discussions around the expert webinars.  Learners work on individual projects with feedback from each other. 

The second MOOC would be considered an xMOOC.  The course “How to Build a Start Up” on Udacity is backed by higher education experimentation.  A high profile expert, Steve Blank is the instructor.  Really great videos by Steve Blank are followed by quizzes to test knowledge of skills.  A discussion on site covers topics of interest to the learners.  So, why do I not complete this course?  I could get a certificate and it is of interest to my non profit. 

The third MOOC is delivered on Google+.  The expert webinars are delivered live using Google Hangouts and recorded on You Tube.  The discussions to date are not organized around any topic.  This MOOC would also be considered a cMOOC.   The MOOC fills the need for a community of practice and a certificate is available.  At this point, I’m participating since I’m doing this blog, considered a weekly activity.  This MOOC is the least structured, but it is using simple tools that are available for free and could be accessed on many devices. 

To stay on top of all these MOOC changes, I’m reading Inge de Waard’s e-book, MOOC Yourself: Set up your own MOOC for business, non profits & informal communities (2013).   Check out the book to see how fast this new MOOC disruption is changing learning. 

Then, view the video to see where you fit into the MOOC revolution.  What kind of follower are you?

Technology can help...

Innovative solutions can enable caseworkers to anticipate challenges, optimize resources, and coordinate services to improve outcomes Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/ibm-human-services/#ixzz2H3TBdyur

Udacity-Lean Launchpad Class Online

Now taking Lean Launchpad Class Online  through Udacity.  Udacity is a  MOOC with more structure than Mobimooc12.  Steve Blank's course features recorded video lectures and quizzes leading to a certificate in what a start up needs to learn about customer development and product development.

Student initiated discussions are available at the class site.  Tags help sort through discussions to relevant interests.  A student created a Linkedin group for further connection.

See the latest Steve Blank course:  Startup Weekend Next.

I just completed the MobiMooc2012.  Check out the  analysis on the  "tree structure" design in the Blog by Osvaldo Rodriguez   

IMO, the structure was engaging even though I was one of the 50% "lurkers" for much of the discussion group topics.   I was engaged enough to contribute a project, one of the 17 mlearning projects designed during the 3 week course.  

Interested in designing a mobile game for learning?

Mobile Learning Project Draft

You can see a Mobile Learning Project Draft I developed for the open source mobimooc course. 

A Mobile Learning Project:
It seems that I have been away from this blog for about a year.  I've been using my time wisely to obtain a graduate certificate in online teaching and learning from New Mexico State University.

I started the blog reflecting on how mobile learning could impact education and training.  Surprise!  Mobile learning is impacting education and training.  From the flipped classroom to free apps that learners can access anywhere and anytime...learning is changing.

Now, I'm selecting to learn using a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course).  I'm interacting with students globally and connecting with those with similar interests in a MOOC for mobile learning.  The MOOC is not an online learning platform such as found in institutions.  The MOOC is adding free educational value by using social media to engage the participants in interactions related to their interests in mobile learning. For some of the participants living in underdeveloped countries, the choice for mobile learning is based on what is available...basic cell phones.  For those of us in developed counties such as the U.S., mobile learning is seen as an approach to enhance the learning experience.

Soon, I will present a project that I'm working on for a non-profit.   I'm looking forward to feedback from my global classmates in the MOOC. 

Personalized Learning

A few months ago I found a surprising no-nonsense solution to an educational challenge.  As a teacher, I was always seeking approaches as to how I could teach a class full of students the same content at the same time.  As you would expect, some of the students were bored and some were lost. 

Then I few months ago, I was following an instructor of mine on Twitter and I found a talk at TED 2011 (ted.com).  The talk was called Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education.

 Khan talks about his experience making math video tutorials for his nephews on YouTube.  His nephews liked the tutorials because they could rewind, fast forward, and not have to ask their uncle dumb questions.  Also, they could choose when they wanted to view the tutorials.

So simple! By using technology a teacher can solve an educational challenge of “one to many”, by providing videos for access “one to one”.   Technology could play a significant role in personalizing the educational experience and increase a more productive educational experience for the learner.

Why is it so difficult to come up with solutions that make so much sense?  According to Daniel Pink the author of A Whole New Mind, (2005), we are coming out of an era where left brain solutions were the norm.  In a new economic era, Pink suggests we can solve problems using right brain senses to change the default options.  To master the sense of what he calls “symphony” we need a conceptual approach to see the big picture.  Salmon Kahn “flipped” the default option of “one to many” by making videos that his nephews could choose to use anytime and anywhere “one to one”. 

Currently, I am designing an online course on the Moodle Learning Management System through New Mexico State University.  It is my intention to incorporate videos to personalize the learning experience.  So, what is the best approach to increase a more productive educational experience using videos?  One approach that I’m exploring is the use of mobile learning devices to allow learners access to some of the learning content anywhere and anytime.  It is not my intention to design the course for the mobile device.  I would like to support the course performance by providing some of the video content for a mobile device as well as on the course website.  A good small start would be videos for students to receive content, and videos to offer tutorial support on the course site.  Since “receiving” information is a small part of learning, a later goal would be video “production” of content by learners. 

A good mobile plan would need access and resources for all learners and quality videos. In exploring mobile learning tools, I can see this is a challenge.  As I explore using the various mobile learning devices and applications, I have found that some video applications will not work on certain mobile devices.  Also, while most learners today have access to a cell phone, the phone may not be a smart phone that allows video.  Some students may not have access to high speed broadband at home to connect to the course website.  Finally, time is a constraint when locating effective existing videos or producing teacher made videos.  So far, I have made first attempts to produce videos using screencast-o-matic,   Jing, and Camtasia.  

Without the same access and resources for all learners, my mobile plan will stay small and focus on identifying mobile learning alternatives for the following elements in the course:  the content generated by the instructor, the internal communications, places to store and share mobile generated content.    My wiki site shares examples of applications that do work on the ipad:  http://mlearn-examples.wikispaces.com/   Social media applications such as FaceBook and Twitter could be useful tools for communications within a course.   Storing and sharing mobile generated content requires a platform that will work from varied mobile devices.  The following article called: Lecture Capture Takes to the Cloud,

found at Campus Technology (2011), uses TechSmith’s Camtasia Relay system and Kaltura’s open source video platform.   Columbus State Community College “has developed a process to move captured Relay content directly from on-campus classrooms to the Kaltura cloud. The goal is to ensure high-quality streaming video for all CSCC students, regardless of where they are”.    

Moving forward with my course design, I will continue to design a personalized learning environment that combines effective teaching/learning models with effective elearning approaches.  The following link to an article by Alan Rudi in Learning Solutions called Hybrid Learning: how to reach digital natives provides good clues on how “hybrid learning” can leverage everything great about good teaching and learning models and elearning technology.

'Open' Content:  How Open are You?

A wide continuum exists for a web-based course such as a NMSU Online Teaching and Learning course, and an ‘open’ content course, such as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).  Yet, both models are changing the definition of a “course” for learners and instructors.  The online Educause article, Through the Open Door: Open Courses as Research, Learning, and Engagement, suggests that the open content model is “not a new way to pass on knowledge from the initiated to the acolyte”.  Instead, the open model inverts the position of “content”: rather than being a prerequisite for a course, curriculum becomes an output of a course. 

What are the considerations of the course designer given the continuum between a content driven and content open course? The Educause article, reminds us that “open courses can leverage communications technologies and open the door to learners to fully engage with the academic process. Open courses offer a new possible future for those of us in higher education — a value choice that promotes collaboration, responsibility, and a commitment to seeing that we can accomplish our goals together.” Since learner engagement is a key goal to an instructor designing a course, what considerations in course design would move busy course designers to see the “value” in promoting collaboration to accomplish learning goals?

Essential Elements (2002), provides realistic clues as to considerations in designing a course given the reality of technology tools available, the readiness of the learners for online collaboration, and the time involved in designing a course that is engaging to learners.  One suggestion is to engage learners of different learning style by including multiple options for activities, such as video and audio.  Another suggestion, plan a learning cycle that is predictable throughout the course: intro, lesson, activity, discussion.  Provide clear directions and eliminate barriers to students by offering checklists and tips to assess readiness for online learning and general knowledge.  Planning a “Getting Started” topic up front will help to get everyone up to speed to work online.  During the “Getting Started” topic make sure that learners realize that while they are all different, the focus will be on how coming together to learn can improve dialogue.  Make online conversations a community expectation, a value perhaps new to learners.  

So where on the continuum between a content driven course and an open course do you see yourself as a course designer?  For me, I like to experiment with small steps but create a framework to add more later. For example, I can start with technical applications that will work for most students to view on desktops or mobile devises.  I just created a video tutorial for my course syllabus in addition to the text version.  I used YouTube to publish since the video will play on mobile devices.  Later, I can add content generation by students in activities scaled to learner ability. 

While the Quality Matters Rubric standards remind us to state prerequisite technical and general knowledge, we are aware that readiness levels will vary so moving to more of an open course will take time for learners and instructors new to online learning.  Face to face technology workshops or other readiness activities may be necessary in moving learners to work online.  The Educause article suggests that “Learners need some sense of what they are choosing to do, a sense of eventedness”.  The article reminds educators to be clear in their description of the challenges faced by learners in the online environment so that learners will understand what it is they need to invest to be successful.  I agree, and I would add that course designers also need to understand the value of investing in designing more of an open course model.  

Dave Cormier, D. & Siemens, G. (2010).  Through the Open Door: Open Courses as Research, Learning, and Engagement. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume45/ThroughtheOpenDoorOpenCoursesa/209320

What is a MOOC? (2010) retrieved from http://youtu.be/eW3gMGqcZQc

Elbaum, B., McIntyre, C. & Smith, A. (2002). Essential Elements: Prepare, Design, and Teach Your Online Course.  Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing.

Quality Matters Rubric Standards 2008-2010 edition.  Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/6frvax2

Taking learning outside the classroom

Did you know that the 18 year old college freshman this year has always had the internet in their life?  Yes, they are wired differently than people like me.  How can we use videos as tutorials outside the classroom on mobile devices? 

How do you like to practice?

Practice!  What works best...  As an aspiring yogi, my intention is to practice from where I am today to where I want to be.  As my instructor advised, "listen to your body, but don't be afraid to push it". 

Or, while pursuing golf, I can hit balls on the driving range at random or practice on the course finding new ways to hit balls in real situations.

http://www.shark.com/sharkwatch/instruction/tip43.php

Can mobile learning tools provide effective practice for learners?